The Case of the Lame Canary

It has good points but is a bit convoluted. Trial is not a focus, and it's not needed, but we get mystifying directions that are at times interesting, at times a bit dragging. I enjoyed his joking with Della in this one especially. The opening with him mainly only listening because he would wonder all day about the lady bringing the canary with her was amusing. Not the best one. Not bad, but not always fully interesting. Complex, though, as usual.

Perry Mason is not really interested in taking a new case - until he sees a canary that seems to have a lame foot. And just because of that he decides to get involved in yet another weird case - not even a murder this time. A car crash in front of a house seems unrelated to the people in the house - although the lady that comes with the canary, Rita Swaine, is. Her sister had married a man she does not love and the sister is worried.

Of course this being a Mason novel, the bodies start dropping pretty fast and both the client and the lawyer get in trouble. You know that the problem will be solved at the end but that does not take anything from the suspense. Add to that some mislabeled luggage and a marriage proposal (Mason to Della) and show more the story is ready to wrap.

Another nice entry in the series. show less

A young woman comes into Mason's office carrying a canary in a cage. Rita explains that her sister, Rosalind, is in the middle of a messy divorce and she's trying to help her. Rita was at her sister's house, trimming the canary's nails, when her boyfriend Jimmy came by to see her. While they were embracing, there was a car accident out front of the house and Jimmy ran out to help. The police officers took his name and address, and now Rita is worried Rosalind's husband will try to make out like Jimmy was there to see Rosalind and not her. Then the husband, Walter, turns up dead. That's when things got *really* complicated.

With Erle Stanley Gardner and Perry Mason, you get what you expect, a fast read in which Perry Mason always wins. That's why you read these books. It is the 11th Perry Mason book. It has the usual cast of characters: Perry, Della Street and Paul Drake. No Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg, yet, though. A fun read. Enjoy.

The case in this book is a typical whodunnit, with a few good twists. The interplay between Perry Mason and Della Street is much more fun in this book than the mystery.

In this episode, it is made clear that Mason and his secretary, Della Street, are sleeping together. Since they're both single, it's cool. I'm just impressed they would admit that in a book published in 1937.

Oh, and Perry solves a murder, etc etc.

Typical Perry Mason. Lots of mistaken identity stuff. KInd of fun but nothing to write home about.